Govt. ready to spend $600M more to rehabilitate CJIA

Oct 12, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – With over US$160 million already spent on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s (CJIA) expansion project, the government is prepared to spend even more money to facilitate rehabilitation and construction works at the country’s main port of entry.

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). (Mike Charles’s photo).

The Ministry of Public Works recently released a notice inviting sealed bids for the “Construction and Rehabilitation Works of VIP, New and Existing Commercial Buildings – Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation”.
The Ministry noted that this project is estimated to cost GY$612,500,000. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedure specified in the Procurement Act 2003. Bids for this project are slated to open on October 21, 2021.
In Budget 2021, a sum of $2.5 billion was allocated for the further upgrade and modernisation of the CJIA to finance major improvements including the procurement of the additional two passenger boarding bridges to accommodate large transatlantic aircraft, bringing the total to six boarding bridges. This money was allocated to be spent on rehabilitating the airline and airport administration office and outfitting the commercial complex.
Earlier in the month, this publication had reported that four construction firms had bid to execute rehabilitation works to the existing roof at the airport. That project is estimated to cost $23,223,375.
In September, the Ministry had awarded a contract for US$2 million to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air bridges for the long ongoing expansion project. Previous to that, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, had commissioned a new runway, complete with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) touted to reduce flights diversion by 90 percent. That project saw some $518 million being spent.
According to reports, in August, the Minister had facilitated the signing of three multi-million-dollar contracts for the upgrading of facilities at the CJIA.
There, Kallco Guyana Incorporated was awarded a contract valued over $51.7 million for the construction of an office building at the airport. The office building will be joined to the existing Terminal building and is expected to house a conference room, offices for the airlines, other agencies and a duty-free bond. That project was given a four-month period to be completed.
Another company, Colin Talbot Contracting Services, signed a contract valued over $38.3 million to conduct repair works to the international apron and to build a taxiway. Four months was given to complete this project.
The Minister had also awarded a contract to Kalitech Incorporated valued $25.9 million to construct a new office building for CJIA’s 280 personnel. With the completion of this project, the new building would allow for more space in the terminal building to be used for commercial purposes.
The CJIA expansion project, which has been going on for years, was signed in 2011 under then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and was passed through the truncated presidency of Donald Ramotar. The deadline given to complete the project was slated for December 31, 2021, but due to the constraints of shipping, as a result of the pandemic, works might not be completed until early 2022.
Moreover, when questioned on the final costs for the CJIA expansion, Minister Edghill had mentioned that the cost is still unknown, but was keen to note that the cost will not surpass US$200 million.

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